Action

ArtLink students from Latvia (pictured here) took action through their art. Students from The Baldone Art School, our ArtLink partners in Latvia, created art pieces and then traveled by bus to Riga to march with their art in a  citywide demonstration for peace. Creative Connections wholeheartedly embraces their sentiment for a peaceful resolution of this tragic conflict.

We remain committed to supporting the unfettered exchange of culture and ideas between students around the world.

Innovation

We are teaming up with Tender Talents Theatre from Uganda to produce a unique cultural heritage experience for student audiences. These sessions will feature traditional dance and drumming numbers performed and filmed by the talented Ugandan students. Watch a short clip here. This will be combined with a live Q&A and interactive workshops virtually connecting local student audience members and the students from Uganda.

2022 International Art Portfolio

We invite you to view a sampling of this insightful art created by the 1700 students from 18 countries who participated in this year’s ArtLink program on the theme: Nature and Me.

A lively interactive version of this collection, complete with a lesson plan containing maps, questions, etc. will be available to our partner classes.

The collection captures the intriguing interrelationships between the young artists and their natural environments.

One of the ways we support our global partner educators is through a series of timely discussions and professional development sessions held virtually. Recently, we held two well-received sessions on mental health, particularly as experienced by the young people our educators work with around the world.

We want to thank the professionals who presented. Dr. Marie Pressley, a local clinical school psychologist, who ran An Introduction to the Mental Health Issues Facing Our Students Today, followed by Sara Hommel, Director of HEART, Save the Children’s international psychosocial support program, facilitating A Well Being Activity, An Expressive Arts Session For ArtLink Educators.

Connection

TheatreConnect: Bridging the Cultural Divide

In addition to our traditional international exchange work, we are currently recruiting high school classes from two very different parts of the USA to take part in a workshop designed to build cultural understanding through theater and storytelling. Focusing on the exploration of culture heritage, partner classes in the Appalachian region of Eastern Kentucky and their counterparts in Western Massachusetts will meet and work together virtually. This exchange is the result of a pilot partnership with Hands Across the Hills, a grassroots group that has brought residents from these two regions together for dialogue and cultural exchange.

Giving

Expansive Support

Since our last newsletter, the David Hurwitt Scholarship Fund received over $10,000 in gifts from 37 donors. Allocations from this fund enables hundreds of students from underserved schools to participate in our global exchanges. David was Creative Connections’ long serving Board member, Chair and dear friend. 

Also this year, Creative Connections was delighted to receive an unrestricted $28,000 Connecticut Cultural Operating Support Grant to help us carry out our “global understanding through the arts” work.